Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The late theologian Bob Webber had a vision for an academic program where people could pursue graduate-level studies in worship, without having to pass through the standard seminary channels first. There are a lot of church musicians and worship leaders whose training is in music or dance or some other related field--people with the academic abilities but who for career reasons cannot take the M.Div. detour before studying the theology and history of worship.

In 1998, Bob founded the Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida. It has been a nontraditional program that combines on-site seminars with distance learning. It's facilities are seriously limited, but it has attracted a knowledge-hungry and enthusiastic group of students, having graduated 161 students from over 30 denominations in its 10 years of existence.

Last week I got an e-mail from IWS president Jim Hart, excitedly telling me that the school had passed a major hurdle in the accreditation process.It has been granted candidate status with the Association for Biblical Higher Education. According to the IWS press release:

Candidate Status grants the Institute membership in the association, and also provides pre-accredited status. Pre-accredited status is granted by the ABHE to institutions that meet its Conditions of Eligibility, and provide a basis for achieving accreditation status within four years.

2 comments:

It is really very necessary to have complete knowledge of religion which is totally based on truth.If academic abilities for worship increased than it will good for all human and it will help to spread love and peace in world.Nice work Bob have done!r4i gold cartucho

About Me

In 2013 I retired from my day job as editor in chief of Christianity Today and vice president of the Christianity Today Media Group (CT, Books & Culture, and related publishing ventures). I continue to write a column for Christianity Today. I now lead the music at Church of the Nativity, Cedarcroft (Episcopal) in Baltimore, Maryland.I am also involved with the Robert E. Webber Center at Trinity School for Ministry. Fitting, I guess, since I'm one of the pilgrims Bob featured in his book "Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail." In June 2010, The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies (where I serve on the board of trustees) awarded me an honorary Doctor of Human Letters. Finally, I recently joined the board of directors for the Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary's Seminary and University, the oldest Catholic seminary in the United States.